Comparing my Xara 4 to other options out there.

[tgm1024]

This thread does not belong in any of the xara specific forums because I'm comparing my current xara rev to other alternatives as well.

Do you guys think that my Xara version 4 is worth upgrading to version 5 or 6 given the other alternatives on the market? I currently am running the lower "non-pro" version.

Also, has any of the free apps out there "caught up"? I remember using a few of them and there was always something or other causing a crash, like complicated envelopes or whatnot.

[pauland]

Get the trial, try it out and make your own decision. There are several threads like this already on talkgraphics.

[tgm1024]

Get the trial, try it out and make your own decision. There are several threads like this already on talkgraphics.

Well that's the seemingly obvious MO, but you're just wrong.

Getting the trial isn't effective for me since I would never have the time to fully exercise the product properly before the time runs out.

Further, I didn't see anything specific to xara 4 upgrades to the set {xara 5 vs. free apps}. Free apps are one thing. Xara 5 is another. I'm trying to determine if the upgrades to 5/6 aren't now covered easily by the free apps. This includes user friendliness, and all that gets rolled into productivity.

[handrawn]

what allternatives are you referring to exactly?

without this information, I for one have no more time to make an analysis than you do

[ss-kalm]

........ I would never have the time to fully exercise the product properly before the time runs out .........

And yet you'll trust someone else's opinion without bothering to check? Doesn't look like your going to get a meaningful answer. I'd say "Yes" upgrade, it's better than the others for me, but is that what you think too?

[tgm1024]

And yet you'll trust someone else's opinion without bothering to check? Doesn't look like your going to get a meaningful answer. I'd say "Yes" upgrade, it's better than the others for me, but is that what you think too?

It is always best to seek suggestions before trying out the universe. It was suggestions in forums like this that pointed me to Xara in the first place. It is *always* more sensible to seek out opinions on products (including revisions), expecially in case they might be particularly vehement. I'm not likely to discover a whopping bug (for example) introduced in rev 5 until it's too late.

[tgm1024]

what allternatives are you referring to exactly?

without this information, I for one have no more time to make an analysis than you do

I don't know all of the alternatives I'm sure as everyone else here. IF nothing jumps to the front of your mind as an answer (not "AVOID REV 5!!!" nor "Inkscape is now as good as Corel" or whatever) then asked and answered.

I asked the question precisely how I meant to. If it makes no sense to you, then I certainly couldn't expect you to expend any more energy in the matter.

[handrawn]

okidoki

does your version have soft groups - I find them invaluable

does your version have live drag freehand drawing - I find this very useful

does your version have solo mode for objects and locking of individual objects - I find this to be handy a lot of the time

there is more in the photo/web areas, but I rarely use most of it

will this make it worth your while? - I am not you so I cannot know - you do not even say what kind of work you do, I cannot guess
[FYI: I am a cartoonist]

[tgm1024]

okidoki

does your version have soft groups - I find them invaluable

does your version have live drag freehand drawing - I find this very useful

does your version have solo mode for objects and locking of individual objects - I find this to be handy a lot of the time

there is more in the photo/web areas, but I rarely use most of it

will this make it worth your while? - I am not you so I cannot know - you do not even say what kind of work you do, I cannot guess
[FYI: I am a cartoonist]

I am a software engineer who dabbles in helping people (for free) with very low end graphic design stuff. (Simple T-shirt logos---they don't want much, nor can spend hardly anything). I used to design graphics software (graphics + imaging + color science, pre-press, etc., etc.) but now I'm just playing with this stuff while I'm a stay at home dad.

I'm once in a while up against work-flow problems in xara4 (first thing that pops into my mind is a bug in filenames, and once a grouped bunch of objects are skewed, I cannot UNgroup them into the component (albeit still skewed) objects.

{breath} Now you also asked and answered the question well, believe it or not. You don't know well what Xara 4 does, so my question isn't well targeted to you.

Sorry if I hadn't yet supplied enough information on my needs.

[tgm1024]

Hmmm....I'm now beginning to wonder if this question isn't better suited the xara specific forums after all. I may have miscalculated this one.